It’s been a less than stellar season for Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez, and many fans have begun to wonder why he’s even still playing for the team. Apparently, his contract is preventing the Jets from letting him go, as they’d have to fork over a LOT of money if they tried to.

He would be “nearly impossible” to trade in the offseason, particularly because he’s already locked in for $8.25 million in guaranteed money next year. If the Jets were to totally drop him, they’d end up having to pay a $17.1 million cap charge, while getting nothing in return. ESPN makes note that trading him could lessen the charge, “but it’s hard to imagine any team taking on Sanchez unless the Jets chipped in to pay a large portion of Sanchez’s contract.” Seems like he’s not going anywhere for a while.